Sexuality Studies

College of Health and Social Sciences

Interim Dean: Dr. Andreana Clay

Department of Sociology and Sexuality Studies

Interim Chair: Dr. Rita Melendez

Sexuality Studies Program

HSS 370
Phone: (415) 405-3570
Fax: (415) 338-2653
Website: sxs.sfsu.edu

Program Scope

Sexuality Studies provides students with knowledge about the processes and variations in sexual functions and reproduction, intimate relationships, sexual and gender role development and behavior, and the social, cultural, historical, and moral contexts of sex and love. This interdisciplinary field relies primarily on faculty from the Colleges of Health and Social Sciences, Liberal & Creative Arts, and Science and Engineering, who serve as advisors to students wanting information or assistance in making curricular choices. Students can use the Minor in Human Sexuality Studies to complement their majors. The program provides an opportunity to gain basic knowledge, develop an awareness of attitudes, and to acquire skills for counseling, teaching, and conducting research.

The minor program in queer and trans studies intends to delineate and analyze meanings that have been associated with homosexuality in various artistic, biological, cultural, educational, ethical, historical, and literary contexts, and to examine the related issues of mixed-gender and cross-gender roles and practices. The minor is broadly interdisciplinary. It draws from courses in anthropology, biology, cinema, counseling, English, history, human sexuality studies, psychology, social sciences, communication studies, and women and gender studies.

Professor

Andreana Clay (2003), Professor in Sociology. Ph.D. University of California, Davis.

Allen LeBlanc (2007), Professor in Sociology. Ph.D. The Pennsylvania State University.

Rita M. Melendez (2004), Professor in Sexuality Studies. Ph.D. Yale University.

Amy Sueyoshi (2002), Professor in Race and Resistance Studies, Professor in Sexuality Studies. Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles.

Associate Professor

Christopher M. Carrington (1994), Associate Professor in Sociology. Ph.D. University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Valerie Francisco-Menchavez (2016), Associate Professor in Sociology. Ph.D. City University of New York, The Graduate Center.

Karen J. Hossfeld (1988), Associate Professor in Sociology. Ph.D. University of California, Santa Cruz.

Alexis Martinez (2007), Associate Professor in Sociology. Ph.D. University of California, San Francisco.

Clare Sears (2007), Associate Professor in Sociology. Ph.D. University of California, Santa Cruz.

Assistant Professor

A. Ikaika Gleisberg (2020), Assistant Professor in Sexuality Studies. Ph.D. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Jen Reck (2019), Assistant Professor in Sociology. Ph.D. University of California, Santa Cruz.

SXS 110 Sexuality in Society (Units: 3)

Introductory exploration of sexuality in its social context. Critical reflection on conventional and individualizing understandings of sexuality. Includes research articles, documentary films, and mainstream television and magazines.
(This course is offered as SXS 110 and SOC 110. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • D1: Social Sciences
  • Social Justice

SXS 300 Introduction to Human Sexuality (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Restricted to upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

The field of human sexuality studies.

SXS 314 Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual History (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

History of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals.

SXS 320 Sex and Relationships (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better; or permission of the instructor.

Explore the role of sexuality in traditional and emerging forms of intimate relationships.
(This course is offered as PSY 320 and SXS 320. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • E1 LLD Pre-Fall 2019
  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Global Perspectives

SXS 332 Representation and Narration of Sexuality in Hollywood Cinema (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division Cinema majors and minors and Human Sexuality Studies minors; CINE 200*, CINE 211*, and CINE 212* or equivalents with grades of C or better; or permission of the instructor.

Examination of the representation and narration of sexuality in cinema with an emphasis on Hollywood. Employs critical and cultural theory - including critical race, queer, and feminist theories - to unpack the social and political significance of sexuality in cinema. Intermediate-level course.
(This course is offered as CINE 332 and SXS 332. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

SXS 350 Selected Issues in Human Sexuality (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Restricted to upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

Topic to be specified in Class Schedule. Examination and analysis of selected topics in human sexuality. May be repeated when topics vary.

Topics:

  1. Fifty Years of Sex in the Media

SXS 380 Queer and Trans Ethnic Studies (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better; or permission of the instructor.

Interdisciplinary examination of how queer and trans Indigenous people and people of color in the U.S. respond to capitalism, racism, settler colonialism, and anti-trans and queer violence. Analyzes coalition building and alternative queer and trans futures. Possible topics include queer of color critique, third-world feminist thought, and Indigenous studies.
(This course is offered as RRS 380 and SXS 380. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Social Justice

SXS 400 Variations in Human Sexuality (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better; or permission of the instructor.

Variations in sexuality: sexual identity, relationships, behavior, and fantasy; identification of personal and social problems associated with varied sexual lifestyles.
(This course is offered as SXS 400, PSY 450, and SOC 400. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Social Justice

SXS 405 Queer Art History (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: ARTH 201 or ARTH 202 recommended.

Case studies of primarily Western art. Homophobia, censorship, reconstructing gay and lesbian history, major artists, visual codes, eroticism, lesbian feminism, families and communities, racial diversity, AIDS, and other issues.
(This course is offered as ARTH 403 and SXS 405. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

SXS 436 The Development of Gender Identities (Units: 4)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; PSY 371; or permission of the instructor.

Integration of biological, psychological, social, and cultural knowledge toward an understanding of the development of gender and sex in all their meanings and facets. A critical look at theories of gender, sex, and gender/sex in psychological science with attention to stereotypes and social issues within the United States, and considering both cisgender and transgender experiences.
(This course is offered as PSY 436 and SXS 436. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

SXS 440 Native Sexualities and Queer Discourse (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

A comparative, interdisciplinary, and socio-historical analysis of Native sexualities and gender constructions from indigenous centered perspectives. Examination of the complexity of Native sexualities, gender formations, and queer indigenous identity movements.
(This course is offered as AIS 440, SXS 440, and WGS 440. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

SXS 455 Sex, Power, and Politics (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better; or permission of the instructor.

Examine how the state and social institutions define gender roles, regulate sexual practices, and police sex as a means of social control. Issues include morality campaigns, AIDS/STDs, pedophilia, pornography, sodomy, abortion, etc.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Social Justice

SXS 456 Psychology of Human Sexual Behavior (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Restricted to upper-division standing.

Psychological aspects of human sexual functioning particularly pertaining to gender identity, pairing, sexual orientation, sexual intercourse, self-stimulation, reproduction, contraception and abortion. Related social issues such as alternative lifestyles, changing sex roles and recreational sex. (This course is offered as PSY 456 and SXS 456. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

SXS 458 Introduction to Transgender Studies (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

Examines transsexuality, drag, transvestitism, and butch-femme lesbianism to explore highly variable relationships between sexuality, gender, desire, and identity.

SXS 470 The Politics of Sex and Reproduction (Units: 4)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

Examination of the politics of sex and reproduction in the United States through policy, law, and theory. The role of the state on issues such as abortion, infertility, pregnancy, pornography, sex work, contraceptives, and procreative and non-procreative sex. Analysis of gender roles and the way conceptions of femininity and masculinity are written into U.S. law.
(This course is offered as PLSI 470, SXS 470, and WGS 470. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

SXS 530 Gender and Sexuality in Ancient Greece and Rome (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

Role of gender and sexuality in the ancient world. Areas of inquiry: women's bodies and social roles; homosexuality; and the socialization of adolescents into adult gender and sex roles.
(This course is offered as CLAS 530 and SXS 530. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities

SXS 550 Field Service in Human Sexuality Studies (Units: 1-3)

Prerequisites: Nine units of SXS coursework or permission of the instructor.

Supervised field service performed in on-campus research, instructional, or service units or off-campus agencies involved in human sexuality medical, social, and psychological services. May be repeated.

SXS 551 Queer Literatures and Media (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

Queer literature and media productions from a feminist and transnational perspective. An intersectional analysis of gender, race, class, sexuality, and citizenship to examine fiction, film, cultural, and historical texts.
(This course is offered as WGS 551 and SXS 551. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • E1 LLD Pre-Fall 2019
  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

SXS 567 Cross-Cultural Aspects of Sex and Gender (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better; or permission of the instructor.

Cross-cultural aspects of sex, sexuality, and gender. The control of sexuality, cultural components of gender role and gender identity, and symbolic aspects of sex and gender.
(This course is offered as ANTH 569 and SXS 567. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities

SXS 569 Sex and the Law (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

A philosophical investigation of legal issues pertaining to sexuality. Legal enforcement of morals and specific cases and statutes regarding marriage, sex discrimination, abortion, rape, homosexuality, pornography, pedophilia, and other sex-related activities.
(This course is offered as PHIL 455 and SXS 569. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Social Justice

SXS 601 Sexuality, Ethnicity, and Health (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: SXS 300* or SOC 300GW* or permission of the instructor.

Overview of the relationships between sexuality, ethnicity, and health. Ethnic and cultural differences that affect sexuality, behavior, risk and resiliency, and result in health disparities. Focus on the structural impact of race and racism on sexuality and health. Exploration of how public health is used to promote racist ideologies, defining race and racism, and education as a process of public health and racism.
(This course is offered as SXS 601 and SOC 601. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities

SXS 633 Queer(ing) Narrative Literature (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: ENG 216 or ENG 218 or equivalent or consent of the instructor.

Exploration of the multiple ways in which English literature, both fiction and non-fiction, can be read, analyzed, and interpreted through the critical lens of Queer Theory. Emphasis on literature that can be considered queer in content, form, or both. The term "queer" will be examined as an adjective, a verb, and a pedagogical orientation in its application to narrative literature.
(This course is offered as ENG 633 and SXS 633. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities

SXS 635 Queer Masterpieces (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues in the context of the Western tradition. Examination of how these issues shape and are in turn shaped by poets, novelists, and visual/performing artists.

SXS 640 Race and Sexual Migration (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

Explore the experiences of contemporary migrants in the United States through the lens of sexuality. Emphasis on tracing the movement of individuals and ideas between regions with both official and unofficial borders. Review of recent scholarship on race, sexuality, and (im)migration.
(This course is offered as RRS 640, SXS 640, and WGS 640. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

SXS 645 Sex, Race, Lies, and Love in San Francisco (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

San Francisco is well-known as a city where "anything goes" especially with regards to sexuality. From early days as a bustling mining outpost for fortune-seeking bachelors, the city quickly gained a reputation for its rowdy sexuality and questionable morality. Exploration of sexual freedom and gender identity demonstrations and declarations in San Francisco in relation to race and ethnicity. Emphasis on the issues of desire, power, and privilege through the disciplinary lenses of Ethnic Studies and Sexuality Studies.
(This course is offered as RRS 645, SXS 645, and WGS 645. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

SXS 667 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Cultures and Society (Units: 4)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; GE Areas A1, A2, A3, and B4.

Sociological analysis of the character and development of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities and cultures in the context of broader social inequalities and social transformations. Special attention to the historical and social antecedents of the contemporary U.S. Focus on empirical and theoretical work within sociology. (This course is offered as SOC 467 and SXS 667. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

SXS 680 Colloquium in Human Sexuality (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Human Sexuality Studies minors or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies minors or permission of the instructor.

Human sexuality from an interdisciplinary perspective presented by faculty, advanced students, and scholars outside the program. Forum for sharing ideas, exploring original concepts, and debating issues.

SXS 685 Projects in the Teaching of Human Sexuality Studies (Units: 1-4)

Prerequisites: Completion of relevant course or equivalent with a grade of B or better; permission of the instructor.

Students serve as instructional aides in order to enrich their knowledge of the subject and the general processes of learning and teaching. Will help develop course materials, plan and review course structure and activities, and provide assistance to students in class projects and fieldwork. (Students may earn a maximum of 4 units toward the baccalaureate degree for any course(s) numbered 685 regardless of discipline.)

SXS 699 Independent Study (Units: 1-3)

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor and program director.

Supervised study of a particular issue selected by the student.

SXS 701 Sexual Cultures, Sexual Identities (Units: 3)

Prerequisite for ANTH 701: Graduate standing or permission of the instructor.
Prerequisite for SXS 701: Restricted to graduate students in Human Sexuality Studies or permission of the instructor.

Concepts of "sexual culture" and "sexual identity" in history and across cultures.
(This course is offered as SXS 701 and ANTH 701. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

SXS 702 Sexuality in Historical Perspective (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Restricted to graduate students in Human Sexuality Studies or History; or permission of the instructor.

Traces the growing scholarship on the historical study of sexuality primarily in the U.S. Introduces students to a variety of historical studies on sexuality and assesses the validity and value of the work. (Plus-minus AB/NC grading only)
(This course is offered as SXS 702 and HIST 702. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

SXS 723 Teaching Internship in Human Sexuality Studies (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Graduate standing; completion of 15 units minimum; permission of the instructor.

Individual projects under faculty supervision undertaken in conjunction with teaching assignments in undergraduate courses. Research and reports on the aims and methods of teaching human sexuality studies to undergraduates. May be repeated for a total of 6 units. (Plus-minus AB/NC grading only)

SXS 724 Research Internship in Human Sexuality Studies (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Graduate standing and permission of the instructor.

Study, discussion, and evaluation of principles of human sexuality research, theory, and method. May be repeated for a total of 6 units. (Plus-minus AB/NC grading only)

SXS 750 Seminar in Graduate Human Sexuality Studies (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of the instructor.

Topics to be specified in Class Schedule. Examines trends, data, methodology, and current research in human sexuality studies. May be repeated when topics vary.

Topics:

  1. Queer Theory and Transgender Studies
  2. Sexuality and Religion

SXS 794 Community Service Learning in Sexuality Studies (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of the instructor.

Field experience in community-based organizations working with issues relating to sexuality. [CSL may be available]

SXS 799 Issues in Sexuality Studies (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of the instructor.

Exploration of research topics for thesis projects; theoretical issues relating to research topics and empirical research. Provides a practical forum to discuss all research issues.

SXS 800 Sociocultural Foundations in Human Sexuality (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Restricted to graduate Human Sexualities Studies students or permission of the instructor.

Current sociocultural knowledge concerning sexual cultures and sexual behavior. Theories of individual and cultural difference in sexuality. (AB/NC grading only)

SXS 801 Biological and Psychological Foundations of Human Sexuality (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Restricted to graduate Human Sexualities Studies students.

Current biological knowledge concerning sexual differentiation from conception through puberty, including sexual response and sexual identity. Psychological theories of sexual behavior and its development, courtship, sexual coercion, and variations in sexual behavior.

SXS 805 Sexuality Education and Policy (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Restricted to graduate Human Sexualities Studies students or permission of the instructor.

Historical and philosophical underpinnings of sexuality education in the U.S.; major pedagogical theories and practices at elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels. Education and social policy considerations.
(This course is offered as SXS 805 and EDUC 805. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

SXS 810 Seminar in Sexualities and Communication (Units: 4)

Prerequisite: Restricted to graduate Communication Studies and Sexuality Studies students or permission of the instructor.

How sexual identities are created, shaped, produced, reproduced, maintained, changed, contested, and challenged through communication practices. Social, cultural, and historical contexts. Interpersonal and mass media contexts.
(This course is offered as COMM 725 and SXS 810. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

SXS 881 Research Methods in Human Sexuality Studies (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Restricted to graduate Human Sexualities Studies students or permission of the instructor.

Interdisciplinary examination of multiple approaches to human sexuality research and social ethics.

SXS 882 Research Design in Human Sexuality Studies (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to graduate Human Sexualities Studies students; SXS 881; or permission of the instructor.

Development, design, and implementation of the research project for completion of the master's thesis.(ABC/NC grading; RP allowed)

SXS 884 Advanced Methods in Sexuality Studies (Units: 1-3)

Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

Practical and critical consideration of research methods and methodology in sexuality studies with a focus on specific strategies of data collection, interpretation, and analysis across disciplines and paradigms. May be repeated for a total of 3 units. (Plus/Minus Letter grade only)

SXS 890 Professional Development (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Restricted to graduate Human Sexualities Studies students or permission of the instructor.

Apply the multidisciplinary perspective of human sexuality studies to on-going projects, and discuss ethical concerns with regard to research in human sexuality and how current work can further professional careers. (AB/NC grading only)

SXS 894 Creative Work Project (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Advancement to candidacy, approval of the graduate advisor, and approval of Advancement to Candidacy (ATC) and Culminating Experience (CE) forms by Graduate Studies.

An original creative work project. Projects must be described in a written document that summarizes the project's relation to other work in the area, its rationale, its significance, and its creative methodologies. Advancement to Candidacy (ATC) and Proposal for Culminating Experience Requirement forms must be approved by the Graduate Division before registration. (CR/NC grading only)

SXS 895 Research Project in Human Sexuality Studies (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: SXS 800, SXS 801, SXS 881, permission of the graduate advisor, and approval of Advancement to Candidacy (ATC) and Culminating Experience (CE) forms by Graduate Studies.

Research methodology and supervised research into topics and problems in human sexuality studies culminating in oral and written presentations. Advancement to Candidacy and Proposal for Culminating Experience Requirement forms must be approved by the Graduate Division before registration. (ABC/NC grading; RP allowed)

SXS 896 Directed Reading (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Permission of the graduate advisor.

Intensive directed reading in human sexuality studies under the supervision of a faculty member. (Plus-minus letter grade, CR/NC, RP)

SXS 898 Master's Thesis (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Permission of the graduate major advisor, and approval of Advancement to Candidacy (ATC) and Culminating Experience (CE) forms by Graduate Studies. ATC and Proposal for Culminating Experience Requirement forms must be approved by the Graduate Division before registration.

(CR/NC grading only)

SXS 899 Independent Study (Units: 1-4)

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of the instructor.

Study is planned, developed, and completed under the direction of a member of the program faculty. Open only to graduate students who have demonstrated the ability to do independent work. Enrollment by petition. May be repeated for a total of 12 units. (Plus-minus letter grade only)